Psalms 119:25-32

Psalms 119:25. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

«I feel heavy, unhappy, dull: ‘My soul cleaveth unto the dust.' Or I feel worldly, lethargic, lifeless: ‘My soul cleaveth unto the dust.' There is nothing but the power of new life that can separate me from that dust: ‘ Quicken thou me according to thy word.'» Divine life is the great cure for most spiritual evils. When a man has vigorous life in his constitution, he throws off many diseases; and when the soul is full of spiritual life, it masters a great number of evils. «My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.» That is good pleading, «according to thy promise, for thou hast promised to quicken me. It is the nature of thy Word to be quick and quickening; therefore, Lord, ‘quicken thou me according to thy word.'»

Psalms 119:26. if have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

«I have confessed my wrong; now, O Lord, teach me what is right! I have owned my sin; now, O Lord, lead me in the paths of holiness! ‘Teach me thy statutes.'»

Psalms 119:27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

He who fully understands the way of God's precepts must talk of his wondrous works. There is a power about that truth in the heart to unloose the most stammering tongue. We are bound to speak of that which God teaches to us: «Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.»

Psalms 119:28. My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

Are any of you, dear friends, in that condition? Do your hearts melt within you? It is a sore trouble, as I know full well. «The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity;» but when his very soul melts for heaviness, what is he to do then? Why, even then he may pray; nay, then he must pray; and this may be the burden of his prayer, «Strengthen thou me according unto thy word.» Notice, beloved, how the psalmist keeps harping upon that string,-« according unto thy word.» If your prayer is according to God's Word, you may expect a comfortable answer sooner or later. We know that God will not act contrary to his Word. He who is not a man of his word is despised; and if there could be one who was not a God of his Word, what would be said of him? But, my tried friend, he will make his Word true to you to the very letter; therefore still cry to him, «Strengthen thou me according unto thy word.»

Psalms 119:29. Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

«Lord, let me not be pestered by liars, and let me never fall into any measure of falsehood myself.» There is a way of thinking better of yourself than you deserve, which is a form of lying. There is a method of supposing that you have experienced what you never have experienced, and that you have attained to what you never have attained to; that also is a way of falsehood. May God remove it from us, and may we have the law of the Lord written on our hearts! «Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.»

Psalms 119:30. I have chosen the way of truth:

«I want to be true, I want to know the truth, I want to feel the truth, I want to practice the truth: ‘I have chosen the way of truth.'»

Psalms 119:30. Thy judgments have I laid before me.

«Like a map, so that I might follow the way of truth as I see it drawn out in letters of light in thy Word.» The man who spreads out God's Word before him, like a map of the road, is not likely to make a mistake in his journeying.

Psalms 119:31. I have stuck unto thy testimonies :

I like that word «stuck.» «I have stuck unto thy testimonies.» «I could not be drawn or dragged away from them. They told me of some fine new ideas and modern grand discoveries; but ‘I have stuck unto thy testimonies.' They came before me with something very artistic and scientific; but ‘I have stuck unto thy testimonies:'

Psalms 119:31. O LORD, put me not to shame.

You may rest assured that he never will. If a man clings to God, God will cleave to him. If we are not ashamed of God, he will never put us to shame; but we shall go from strength to strength glorying in his truth and grace.

Psalms 119:32. I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

There is an enlargement of the heart that is very dangerous, but this kind of enlargement of the heart is the most healthy thing that can happen to a man. A great heart, you see, is a running heart. A little heart goes slowly, but an enlarged heart runs in the way of God's commandments. Oh, for a heart full of love to God; and then to have that heart made larger, so as to hold more of God's love! Lord, enlarge my heart in that sense! Let me feel at home and at liberty with thee; let the last link of my bondage be snapped. Amen.